The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1887-09-07
Sfon the Clock.

In one of the Eastern countries there lived
q man of skeptical opinions and ungodly life.
He was clever workman, man OF consider
able natural ability and general information,
but who was blind to Divine things. Reli-
gion was in his view mere delusion, imposing
upon the weak and ignorant credulity OF
women and children; a mere superstition,
which it was the interest of priests to main
tain, but which all sensible men were bound
to oppose.
At length the unhappy skeptic was stricken
down by disease which proved fatal IN It's
issue. At length he is laid on sick-bed which
proved to be his bed of death. Anxious to
know how long he had to live, he asked the
medical man, who told him that he could not
hold out very long. He then insisted on a
more definite reply, upon which the doctor,
pointing to clock which stood in the room,
said, 81 do not think there is any probability
of your being alive when that CLOCK
strikes twelve" The man has then but
few hours at most to live; he lies there
watching the clock, conscious that his life is
ebbing away, but giving no sign OF altered
feeling: the time mentioned by the doctor had
now very nearly arrived, when the man sud-
denly starts up in convulsive, expiring ener-
CIV, and CRYING out, "Stop the clock! Stop the
ciockn' falls back a corpse. The clock
stopped, not in answer to his vain appeal, and
if it had, he would have been nothing profit
ell: for the last moment of life had come, and
he was summoned from time to eternity,
from world where hope fingers to the last,
to world where hope never enters,
Render, what will be your feelings when
YOU know that the now narrow remnant OF
Your life is being measured out by minutes
and seconds rather than by weeks ana
months and years? How terrible will be your
case if. having neglected through life all the
means of salvation, you realize in death their
Importance as you never did before, aLi in
the agony Of a too late conviction, you put
I'D the vain entreaty of this poor man-'Stop
the clock! stop the clock!'
But this need not be the case. The good
news is still sounding in your ears. The Cos
mel of the grace of God is still preached to
YOU. The Lord Jesus Christ, clothed with
pity and with power, stands before you
''mighty to save;" cable also to save them TO
the uttermost that come unto God by Him,
seeing He ever liveth to make interceSslon for
them.h The Word is always, the Word is
everywhere the same, "Believe on the Lord
Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved" The
Word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and
in thy heart: that is, the word of faith which
we preach; that if thou shalt confess with
thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shall believe
in thine heart that God hath raised Him from
the dead. thou shalt be saved. For with the
heart man beieveth unto righteousness; and
with the mouth confession is made unto sal
yation.n For the Scripture saith, wv hoso-
ever believeth on Him shall not be ashamed
For there is no difference between the Jew
and the Greek; for the same Lord over all Is
rich unto all that call upon Him For who
soever shall call upon the name OF the LORD
shall be saved."-f Friendly Greetings.